Prevalence of acute kidney injury in preterm newborns weighing less than ot equal to 1600 grams

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: The acute kidney injury (AKI) is defined as a decreased kidney capacity to eliminate
nitrogenous waste products, established within hours or days due to an increased in serum creatinine
concentration and urine volume diminution, although it can also be present with normal urine volume. The
modified definition of Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) includes diuresis and an
increased creatinine concentration as diagnostic criteria for AKI.

OBJECTIVE: a) To evaluate the prevalence of AKI in preterm newborns (PTNB) with birth weight less
than or equal to 1600 grams hospitalized in the intensive care unit (ICU) of the Maternal Provincial Hospital
“Dr. Raul Felipe Lucini'' from January to December 2022. b) To characterize the PTNB population that
developed ARL according to alterations in diuresis and renal transplant therapy.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective and descriptive study. It included PTNBs weighting ≤
1,600 grams. The patients included were assessed for serum creatinine concentration values during their
hospitalization; and the prevalence of ARL was calculated. RESULTS: 3,066 newborn babies were born
alive, including 57 pre-term included in the study, and 6 patients were diagnosed with ARL. The prevalence
of AKI in PTNB, during the study period was 10,5%.
CONCLUSION: The serum creatinemia is a biomarker most commonly used in clinical practice to evaluate
the renal function. However, it is inefficient in assessing the ARL values as it measures glomeral filtering
but not renal damage. Thus, it is important to include early and specific biomarkers to diagnose this
pathology in an opportune manner.